CEO Brizard suggests safe alternate options for winter activities

As students and families prepare for the holidays, Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard and Chicago Park District CEO Michael Kelly are asking for students to be safe during the winter break.

“I want all of our students to have a happy and safe winter break,” Brizard said. “I encourage parents with children on a holiday break to get them involved with safe, indoor activities that will keep them busy and actively engaged.”

A safe and free alternative for students on winter break is the Safe Haven Safe Holiday program, an extension of the CPS Safe Haven initiative. Safe Haven Safe Holiday is designed to provide CPS students with structured and productive activities while out of school.  This year, Safe Haven Safe Holiday will operate in 40 churches across Chicago and will begin on Monday, December 26th, 2011 and will end with a culminating event at DuSable high school on January 6th, 2012. The program will run Monday through Friday from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm.  CPS has also partnered with Catholic Charities to provide breakfast and lunch daily for each child.

This season’s Safe Haven Safe Holiday curriculum and theme will focus on anti-bullying. Programming will include anger management workshops, conflict resolution exercises, group discussions as well as arts and crafts. For more information, parents can call 773.553.2500. A list of participating churches is below.

The Chicago Park District also offers many low or no-cost drop-in or holiday camp programs, December 27th – 29th, and January 3rd – 6th, at parks throughout the city. Program hours and locations vary. Check with your local park for details, or visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com.  

“When children are out of school, we invite them to remain active at their neighborhood park,” said Supt. Kelly.

In addition to finding safe winter activities, Brizard also encourages parents to review these safety tips with their children during the winter months:

• The holidays are a great time for the family to enjoy festive decorations, but make sure you remember to be careful when using candles.  Make sure all candles and lit fires are fully extinguished before turning in for bed. Children should ask an adult to light any candle for them.
• It's winter, which means that it's cold outside.  If they do have to go outside, make sure your kids are dressed appropriately for the weather and encourage them to wear layers to help keep them warm. 
• As the evenings get dark earlier, have your kids stay inside the house after dark. 
• If they have to be outside, remind your kids that they need to be extra careful walking around, especially after the sun goes down. 
• Make sure your kids know that drivers may have a difficult time seeing them particularly in snowy weather.   Remind them to only cross the streets using crosswalks.  Have them wear bright color or reflective clothing when outdoors after dark.

Winter break for most Chicago Public Schools students begin this Friday, December 23rd. Students who attend Track E schools began their break last Friday, December 16th.  Classes for all CPS students resume on Monday, January 9th, 2011.

Participating churches and organizations for Safe Haven Safe Holiday include: